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Jan 22, 2014

Disclaimer:
All reviews are the result of my personal opinion from a Christian
stand-point. These reviews are provided for those who share my beliefs
and morals, to help guide what fiction a reader may wish to pick up. For
those who do not share these beliefs, please refrain from hateful
comments. It is due to rude commenting that I must now include this note
prior to all reviews. For more information, visit my purpose behind this blog. Thank you for your understanding.

Summary:

Intended Age-Group: 12+

Issues of Violence: gunfire, explosions

Intimacy Level: minor kisses

Language: What the h**l, bad-a**, ba***rd, d*mn, some uses of "God" as exclamations.

Recommendation: 4 out of 5 stars. Completely delightful and original!

First, just take a moment to soak in that cover. Isn't it amazing? Guilty confession: I totally bought it for the cover.

Book blurb:

A devastated Earth's last hope is found in Pearls: small, mysterious
orbs that fall from space and are capable of supplying enough energy to
power entire cities. Battling to control the Pearls are the Skyship
dwellers—political dissidents who live in massive ships in the Earth's
stratosphere—and the corrupt Surface government.

Jesse Fisher, a
Skyship slacker, and Cassius Stevenson, a young Surface operative,
cross paths when they both venture into forbidden territory in pursuit
of Pearls. Their chance encounter triggers an unexpected reaction,
endowing each boy with remarkable—and dangerous—abilities that their
respective governments would stop at nothing to possess.

Enemies
thrust together with a common goal, Jesse and Cassius make their way to
the ruins of Seattle to uncover the truth about their new powers, the
past they didn't know they shared, and a shocking secret about the
Pearls.

Initial Reaction: *****
I loved it. I love discovering new worlds and the idea of gigantic gorgeous energy-pulsing marbles falling from the sky. This book had me from the start -- the first line actually made it onto my "favorite first lines list" (yes, I'm a bit nerdy and actually have one of these.)Characters:*****
Both main characters -- Jesse and Cassius -- provided unique perspectives on the same war. Jesse's point-of-view (POV) was told in first person and Cassius's was in third person. Some other reviewers said this was distracting and usually it is for me, but for some reason it didn't bother me this time around. Actually, it made it a lot easier to tell them apart, but even without that difference in voice I think I could have kept them straight. The boys were unique, their voices were unique, and I never groaned when we switched POVs. That's a rare thing for me because I tend to gravitate toward single POV books.

I especially appreciated their different takes on serious issues like death, murder, greed, and need. While one was technically "the bad guy," he always felt human and relatable. And even the "good guy" had his flaws and weaknesses thatincreased his level of relatability. Very well done. Good job, Mr. James.

Plot: *****
This entire plot was unique and well delivered. The world Mr. James created with pearls, skyships, and government control was intricate yet understandable. I appreciated the depth he put into each character, keeping them from turning cardboard. The story was unpredictable but clear enough to follow and I found myself surprised at the end. Who doesn't love surprises?

On occasion, the military talk got a bit too thick for me to follow, but I found if I pushed through most of it I could still keep the main plot and story straight. I assume more of the details will come into play in book two for clarification. If they don't, I'm fine with just focusing on the plot regarding Jesse and Cassius. But if you need a guide to remind you what everything stands for, Nick James put together a great database on his website. I appreciated the deeper development of this world. While staying dystopian, it juggled two different government systems that were in conflict with one another and a people group outside of either government controls. Unique and well-developed (despite the occasional confusion.)

Spiritual focus: *****

None really, though there's mention of a religious sect that worships the Pearls that fall from the sky. I'm mostly thankful this is clean and engaging fiction for younger readers.Overall Recommendation: *****
If you're a fan of dystopian worlds, especially ones with different military-type interaction, then the Skyship Academy series is for you. I plan to start book two, Crimson Rising, tonight.

I think this book will appeal to both male and female readers of the intended age group (and older.) It is written with clean content, but an intense plot that will keep the readers turning the pages.

Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, released September 2014 fromEnclave Publishing. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

Jan 17, 2014

Disclaimer:
All reviews are the result of my personal opinion from a Christian
stand-point. These reviews are provided for those who share my beliefs
and morals, to help guide what fiction a reader may wish to pick up. For
those who do not share these beliefs, please refrain from hateful
comments. It is due to rude commenting that I must now include this note
prior to all reviews. For more information, visit my purpose behind this blog. Thank you for your understanding.

Recommendation: 4 out of 5 stars. Fascinating, but a little dark for my tastes.

All books regarding dreams catch my eye right away for many reasons.
1. I've had a fantasy series involving dreams in my head for over 10 years and still haven't been able to write it.
2. I've also had vivid dreams my entire life.

Insomnia, by J. R. Johnasson was such a unique concept I couldn't help but purchase it. Here's the back cover blurb:

Back Cover BlurbHer eyes saved his life. Her dreams released his darkness.

After four years of sleeplessness, high school junior Parker Chipp can't take much more. Every night, instead of sleeping, he enters the dreams of the last person he's made eye contact with. If he doesn't sleep soon, Parker will die.

Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissful rest that's utterly addictive. But what starts out as a chance meeting turns into an obsession; Parker's furious desire for what he needs pushes him to extremes he never thought he'd go. And when someone begins terrorizing Mia with twisted death threats, Parker's memory blackouts leave him doubting his own innocence.

Initial Reaction:*****

The plot is intense. Let's just start with that. it's a lot darker than I'd expected and at one point, when I was reading it at night, I had to put it down for a few days until I could finish it during the daytime. The author captures the "horror" aspect of what is happening in Parker's life perfectly. Maybe it hits home more with me because of having a long life of dreams. Whatever the fact, it was captivating in a somewhat terrifying type of way.

Plot: *****
The plot continued to twist and turn and surprise me. I love that about a good plot. However, the ending of the book left me with a shrug. Finding out the answer to the mystery villain was a little less impressive than the rest of the story, but that's okay. It didn't weaken the book, it just kept the book from being...phenomenal. In my opinion. Problem is, I'm not sure how it should have ended.

Overall Recommendation:(3.5 stars)
Overall, this plot was delivered in the best possible way for the storyline. I don't really fancy dark reads like this, but for those who do, this one's right up your alley. There are also many mature themes, I leave it to your discretion.

Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, released September 2014 fromEnclave Publishing. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

Jan 7, 2014

Disclaimer: All reviews are the result of my personal opinion from a Christian stand-point. These reviews are provided for those who share my beliefs and morals, to help guide what fiction a reader may wish to pick up. For those who do not share these beliefs, please refrain from hateful comments. It is due to rude commenting that I must now include this note prior to all reviews. For more information, visit my purpose behind this blog. Thank you for your understanding.

Recommendation: 3.5 out of 5 stars with high reservations (see end of entry)

Back-Cover BlurbTrapped in a superstore
by a series of escalating disasters, including a monster hailstorm and
terrifying chemical weapons spill, brothers Dean and Alex learned how to
survive and worked together with twelve other kids to build a refuge
from the chaos. But then strangers appeared, destroying their fragile
peace, and bringing both fresh disaster and a glimmer of hope.

Knowing
that the chemical weapons saturating the air outside will turn him into
a bloodthirsty rage monster, Dean decides to stay in the safety of the
store with Astrid and some of the younger kids. But their sanctuary has
already been breached once. . . .

Meanwhile, Alex, determined to
find their parents, heads out into the darkness and devastation with
Niko and some others in a recently repaired school bus. If they can get
to Denver International Airport, they might be evacuated to safety. But
the outside world is even worse than they expected. . .

Initial Reaction: *****There's really one word to describe this book: terrifying. It's my own fault for starting it at 10:30pm. But as post-apocalyptic world-building goes, Laybourne wins the gold. It was terrifying, yet oddly captivating, and even now--a month after finishing it--I want to re-read the series. I want book 3 to come out. PROS:1. Characters: *****Characters are even more believable and relatable than with book one.At first I was skeptical about how it now followed both Alex and Dean's point-of-view (POV), but Laybourne delivered a dual POV with flying colors. I never, for a moment, regretted switching POVs. Both were equally interesting, captivating, and had different voices.2. Frighteningly realistic.As we followed Alex's POV out into the crazed world, people acted as I'd expect them. You had the crazies who wanted to survive, the crazies who wanted to steal from people, the few kind people who were willing to help, the travelers who just wanted to find a new place of safety. Even the way the government was portrayed to handle this situation of world disaster was believable.3. Intense. Oh my goodness, I sweat more through this book than my best workout. The ending. What can I say? The ending. I don't think I was breathing. If this ever turns into a movie, the audience may just pass out.4. Spiritual Content: *****This comes specifically with the growth of prayer. In book one, Monument 14, God is somewhat ridiculed through the actions and attitude of a certain character. In this one, though, as life grew more intense and on the brink of hopelessness, the characters started turning to prayer. It was neat to see the switch. The changes in character. And, the answers to prayer. It seemed natural, like what I would expect--a certain reach toward God when the realization of death and short life is clear in one's mind. CONS:1. ViolenceA lot of violence. Fighting, fleeing, murders, more fighting, more fleeing, panic, darkness, etc. But what do you expect in a post-apocalyptic book where half the people roaming around outside are infected with compounds that make them turn into enraged monsters?2. Sensuality There is sex in this book with some small descriptions about it, too. This goes against what I believe -- spiritually and morally -- is appropriate for teenagers to do or read. 3. Others: Drinking and drugs were used in a few places throughout the novel. There was also a moment when all of the little kids and underage kids chose to smoke profusely in order to kill out the compounds in the air. I can understand in the situation, but this may affect younger readers differently than it ought -- just something to be aware of. Overall Recommendation: (3.5 stars)This
book is dark. It's scary. Did I say it's dark and scary? But it's so brilliantly written and engaging. There are also many mature themes I find beyond the intended age group, yet the story is delivered flawlessly. (Can you tell I'm conflicted?)I leave it to your discretion. I'm not sure if I'll put them away forever or read them again.

Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, released September 2014 fromEnclave Publishing. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

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How would you live if you knew the day you'd die? In a world where everyone has a Clock showing their day of death, Parvin Blackwater tries to find purpose in her last year alive. But will she defy the authorities to find it?